Cuttack: Aspirants of Odisha Civil Services 2011 examinations heaved a sigh of relief today when Orissa High Court declined to grant a stay on the preliminary examinations scheduled to be held on January 19.

The preliminary examination of Odisha Civil Services (OCS) 2011 by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) would be held as scheduled on January 19, the court said, while dismissing a petition filed in this regard by one Mukesh Chandra Ghosh.

The Division Bench of Justices Madan Mohan Das and Raghuvir Das, however, endorsed the observation made by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) capping the reservation of posts to only 50 per cent of the vacancies.
"Out of the 494 vacancies as advertised by the OPSC in two phases, 247 posts shall remain unreserved and general candidates numbering 12 times of these unreserved posts shall be qualified to appear the main examinations," said the petitioner`s advocate Ashok Kumar Mohapatra quoting the High Court order.

The High Court also directed the SAT to dispose all cases pertaining to the OCS-2011 before the summer vacations so that the main examinations are conducted smoothly without any confusion.

The OPSC had issued advertisements for recruitment of several cadres of including the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) in two phases in November and December 2011.
Out of 494 posts advertised, a whopping 318 (more than 64 percent) posts were kept reserved for various categories, leaving a meagre 176 posts for general aspirants.

Challenging this anomaly Ghosh had approached the SAT stating that reserving more than 50 per cent of posts was in violation of the Supreme Court and Orissa High Court rulings.

The Tribunal disposing off the application of Ghosh earlier this month had asked the OPSC not to exceed the reservation of posts more than 50 percent and accordingly asked the Commission to go ahead with the examinations as planned, but not to make any appointments without the leave of the SAT.